Richmond planning commission reviews select board hearing, addresses concerns about natural‑resource map

The Richmond Planning Commission on Jan. 7 reviewed the select board’s public hearing on the town plan and spent much of its meeting addressing public concerns about how the plan’s natural‑resource overlays could affect private land use.

Commission members said the planning commission’s second draft and the subsequent amendment list have been consolidated into a third draft that will be considered by the select board at a Jan. 21 hearing; if the select board approves it, the plan could be placed on the warning for a townwide vote on town meeting day. Regional planning representative Bard commented at the select board hearing in support of the plan, and the regional body will later vote to endorse the plan after voter approval, commissioners said.

A resident identified in the record only as Mary raised objections at the select board hearing, saying she feared she would not be able to use her land as she expects if it is shown in the rural conservation category. Commissioners and staff emphasized in the Jan. 7 meeting that the future‑uses map is not itself a zoning map and is intended to show natural resources and areas warranting careful siting. "This is not a zoning map," Richmond Conservation Commission chair Judy Ravoski told the commission during discussion, explaining the plan’s immediate local regulatory effect differs from zoning.

Commissioners also noted a nuance raised by attendees and participants with ACT 250 experience: although the town plan does not directly change local zoning, the plan’s wording can be treated as directive at the state level during Act 250 reviews. Commissioners agreed that the choice of words matters: earlier drafts contained mandatory phrasing such as "shall," and members cautioned that the plan’s future‑use descriptions could influence state permitting decisions if left sufficiently prescriptive.

Staff member Keith reported he is incorporating the approved amendment list into a consolidated third draft and has largely completed the implementation table; he said he is finishing formatting and typo corrections before circulating the document and posting it to the planning page on the town website. Commissioners noted that the map and plan remain amendable after adoption and that some regional base‑map errors will be corrected during the amendment process.

The commission agreed to publicize the third draft before the select board posts its agenda to give residents more time to review materials. The select board hearing on Jan. 21 will be the next formal step in the town plan adoption process.